Funding

The Department of Second Language Studies has a number of scholarship funds that support student research and conference travel. Descriptions of these funds, their purposes, and application procedures and materials can be found at the following links.

Charlene Sato Memorial Scholarship

This scholarship fund was established in honor of Dr. Charlene Junko Sato, who was an Associate Professor in the Department when she passed away in 1996. An MA graduate of the Department, “Charlie” became faculty member in 1982 and was one of the world’s foremost experts on pidgin and creole languages and second language acquisition, having her particular focus, arising from her own heritage, on Hawai‘i Creole English (HCE). Dr. Sato devoted her academic career to the study of HCE, and her early death left a huge gap in the struggle to have HCE accepted and legitimated as a valid language. She was a highly respected scholar and teacher.

Following her own wishes, the Charlene Junko Sato Endowed Memorial Fund was established. The purpose of the Fund is to provide study awards to undergraduate or graduate students at the University of Hawai‘i who are pursuing academic work involved with or related to Hawai‘i Creole English. Awards are to be used for tuition, travel, supplies, and other academically related needs.